Vehicle body



F. M. REID VEHICLE BODY Filed March 31, 1954 uymvrox.

fa $34M, ATTORNEY5. I;

Patented Dec. 3, 1935 VEHICLE BODY Frederick M. Reid, Detroit, mm, mm a mpany, a corporation of Frnehauf Trailer Michigan Application March 31, 1934, Serial No. 718,317

'10 0mm. (Cl. tee-2s) 10- the uprights, top and panels were secured.

opened or closed When a rub rail was employed on the body, it

' was usually a separate element distinct from the sill upon which the body was constructed.

In the present invention, I employ rub rails 16 as the sill of the body and have provided cross members interconnected therewith upon which the floor of the bodyis secured. I employ the rub rail as a means for supporting the stakes or pillars constituting the upper frame work of the body. In this manner, an extremely rigid construction is provided which is protected by the rub'rail against damage and which is materially simplified. When removable pillars or so-called "stakes. are employed in the body side construc- 25;

associated elements for receiving and supporting tion, apertures are formed by the rub rail and its the'pillars, fromwhich they are removable. The

entire body could be constructed in this manner, having the pillars removable from apertures or pockets formed by the rub rail and its associated elements and the sidegates could be substituted therefor to forman open body structure when the closed body is removed.

Accordingly, the main objects of my invention 1 are; to form the base of a vehicle body with laterally extending rub rails which are interconnected by cross elements; to support the upwardly projecting elements of the body sides on the inner faces of the rub rail to be protected 40'. thereby; to have the pillars of a closed body construction disposed adjacent to the inner faces of therub rails and secured thereto and'braced against longitudinal movement by associated elements which are also secured tothe rub rail; to

45. provide paneling on the pillars on the inside 1 and/or outside thereof to form a'closure for the body; to'provide an inner rail element along on thecm elements spaced from the rub rail to form pockets for receiving stakes of a side gate 50- from which they are removable; to provide spacedpocketsontheinnerfaceoftherubrails for receiving stakes orpillarsof the body or side gates which are interchangeable to form a closed oranopenbodyconstructionasmaybedesired;

and, in seneraL'to provide, an improved vehicle it is of channel section having a central web I! body construction which is simple, rigid and economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of my invention will be either specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better" understanding of my invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a vehicle body embodying features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 2-2 thereof,

Fig. 3 is an end view in Fig. 1 with a part in section.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the structureillustratedin Fig. 1,takenontheline4--4 thereof, i

Fig. 5 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 4, showing a modified form thereof, v

Fig. 6 is a view of structure'similar to that illustrated in Fig. 4, showing a further modified sectional view of the strucform thereof,

Fig. 'l is an enlarged ture illustrated in Fig. 3, taken on the line 1-1 thereof, and

Fig. 8 is a broken perspective view of structure similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2, showing a a chassis frame I! at the points of interconnection'of cross members ll thereof. The support of the body is entirely on the plurality of cross members it which are spaced from each other and provided throughout the longitudinal dimension of the body. The elements I! are of l-secition andare connected to the side rub rail II which protrudes beyond the floor and bottom side edges of the vehicle to protect the vehicle body and form a substitute for the usual sill thereof. The rub rails it thus servea dual purpose.

Itwil1benotedinFlgs.2 to8that therubrail and sides I which are flanged outwardly therefrom east II. The channelspf therubrails ll openlinwardly and are of 'a'depth to closely receive the corresponding ends of the cross members it which are angula'rly cut or chamfered at it to also permit a flrm abutting engagement be-' tween the ends of the members andthe web II. oftherubrailsll. Theflangesofthemembers l 3 are rigidly secured to the sides It of the'rails by suitable means, herein illustrated as rivets It,

of the structure illustrated l6 preferably by bolts 22, as illustrated more clearly in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. Where body paneling is employed on the inner faces of the pillars 2|, spacing elements 23 are secured by bolts 22 to the innerfaces of the upper flanges between and in abutted relation to-adjacent pillars 2 I. In this manner the pillars are not only supported against movement by the bolts 22 which retain the pillar tightly against the inner surfaces of both the flanges II, but are additionally supported against longitudinal movement by the elements 23 which are disposed between the pillars and are bolted to the upper flanges I'I.

In Fig. 2 .I have illustrated an inner panel 24 secured on the inner side of the pillars 2| and the interconnecting elements 23 to form 'a closed body. .The flooring 25 is then laid upon the 2 members i3 having the elements adjacent to the panels 24 notched at 26 to abut against the element 23 and the side panels 24.

,To further support and brace the pillars, I may employ an angle member 21 extending parallel to the rub rail, having one flange in engagement with the inner side of the pillars i8 and the other riveted or otherwise secured to the bottom flange of the Z membersl3. Bolts 22 extend through the bottom flange ll of the rail l4, through the pillar and the depending flange of the angle member 21 to form a more rigid support for the ends of the pillars 2|. It is to be understood that the angleelement 21 need not be employed in all cases but is preferably in. certain structures to provide additional strength when desired, its main function being found in connection with stake bodies where, as later described, it aids in the'formation of the stake pockets.

In Fig. 5, I.have illustrated a further form of my invention wherein an outer panel 28 is employed in combination with the inner panel 24. The outer panel is disposed adjacent to the flanges I! of the rub rails i4 tobesecured'against the pillars 2| and spacing elements 23. In Fig. 6,

I have-shown a further form wherein the inner panel 24 is entirely omitted and the outer panel 28 is employed as illustrated in Fig. 5. In this case the spacer elements 22 are eliminated and the floor 25 extends out to and into contact with the outer panel 28.

In Fig. 8, I have shown a modified form of the above construction wherein stakes or removable pillars 3| are provided on the side gates 32 of the body which are removable. In this construction, fllle'r elements 33 preferably extend across the two flanges ll of the rub rails. l4 to form closed pockets forthe stakes 3|. It is desirable to employ the angle member 21 in this construction to have the depending flange disposed opposite to the, bottom flange II to form a closed pocket for. the bottom of the stake 3|. It will be noted that the stakes 3| are not permanently boltedor otherwise secured to the flanges II of the rug rail H but are removably disposed in the pocket formed thereby as above described; The

stakes 8| are received by'the pockets and are flrmly supported thereby, It is tobe understood that when desirable such pockets may be utilized in combination with the pillars 2| so as to have the body removable and the side gates 32 substituted therefor. In this manner, a closed type ,at the inner margins thereof, upwardly projectof body may be changed to an open type, both using the same supporting structure.

The paneling and top construction as well as the doors, windows and the like, follow the conventional construction well known in the auto- 5 mobile art and is not described herein. The trailer or body thus constructed-is rigid and is protected by the extending rub rails. The construction is materially simplified by employing the rub rails in the place of the sills heretofore utilized and directly supporting the cross members thereto.

While I have described and illustrated several embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions, additions and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim as my invention:'

l. A vehicle body comprising a pair of inwardly presenting channel-shaped rub rails disposed longitudinally of the body, cross elementsdirect- 1y interconnecting said rub rails, vertically disposed pillars secured against the inner edges of 25' vertically disposed flanges, upwardlyprojecting pillars secured to the inner faces of said flanges, 40 and a spacing element secured to said flanges and abutting a side of said pillar.

4. A vehicle body including, in combination, a plurality of spaced cross elements, inwardly presenting channel members interconnecting the ends of said cross elements and having vertically disposed end flanges, upwardly projecting pillars secured against the faces of said flanges, a spacing element secured to said flanges and abutting a side of said pillar, and panels secured to said pillars.

5. A vehicle including, in combinatio a pin-- rality of spaced cross elements, rub rails of inwardly presenting channel section and interconnecting the ends of said cross elements and having oppositely directedvertically dispom flanges mg pillars secured against the inner faces of said flanges, panels secured to said pillars, and flooring disposed upon said cross elements.

6. A vehicle body including, in combination, a plurality of spaced cross elements, inwardly presenting channel-shaped members interconnecting the ends of said cross elements and provided with vertically extending'flanges, angle members secured to said cross elements in spaced relation with the lower flange on said flrst members, and means disposed at spaced intervals throughout the length of the members to form pockets therewith.

7. A vehicle body including, in combination, a plurality of spaced cross elements, inwardly presenting channel-shaped members interconnecting the ends of said cross elements and provided with vertically extending flanges, angle se- 1| cured to said cross elements in spaced relation with the lower flange on said flrst members, means disposed at spaced intervals throughout the length of the members to form pockets therewith, and stakes on the body sides extending therebelow and disposed in said pockets.

8. A vehicle body comprising a plurality of spaced cross. elements, longitudinally extending inwardly presenting channel-shaped side frame members interiorly receiving and interconnecting the ends of said cross elements, vertically disposed flanges integral with the inner edges of said frame members substantially continuous therewith, and elements forming pillar receiving pockets, bordered by the inner faces of said flanges.

9. In a vehicle body frame, an inwardly preedges thereof, a plurality of spaced parallel cross 1 members secured'to said frame member, and means forming pockets adjacent the inner faces 'of said flanges and adapted to receive pillars in abutting relation to the inner faces of said flanges. 18

FREDERICK M. Ram, 

